2 babies, 1 mom: DNA solves riddle for cops

CHENNAI: DNA tests have solved the riddle of a baby lost and two found, confirming that Kalaiselvi, a 21-year-old woman whose child had been kidnapped from RSRM Government Hospital in Royapuram on October 25, was the mother of a baby rescued from a woman in north Chennai.

The Chennai police received the DNA test reports on Sunday. Kalaiselvi had staked claim to a baby found in a suburban train 12 days after her child was abducted, but the case took an unexpected turn when police arrested a woman, Yogeshwari, in Tondiarpet a little over a week after the first baby was found, and recovered a child from her.

Investigators sent DNA samples collected from Kalaiselvi, the wife of an autorickshaw driver, Ravi, and the two babies to the forensic sciences department's labs in Mylapore. They put the baby in the care of a children's home in T Nagar. The DNA tests determined that Kalaiselvi was the biological mother of the baby rescued from Yogeshwari.

"The couple will file a petition in the Madras HC on Monday to seek custody of the child," a senior police officer said. "Based on the DNA evidence, we expect the court to send an order to the children's home to hand over the baby to Kalaiselvi and Ravi." On November 18, police detained Yogeshwari, 22, a resident of Parameshwaran Nagar. "Yogeshwari went through a series of miscarriages and her husband threatened to leave her if she did not have a baby," the officer said. "Yogeshwari was desperate and decided to steal a baby." Since there was confusion over the babies, policemen they decided to hand over the child to the couple only if DNA tests confirmed that Kalaiarasi was the mother.

Police grilled five women involved in taking possession of an illegitimate child from a woman in Gingee, in Tiruvannamalai district.

Staff at Egmore Children's Hospital grew suspicious and informed the police when a woman who admitted a baby boy with jaundice on Sunday failed to breastfeed the child even though he was crying for more than two hours. Police picked up the woman and questioned her.

Investigators identified the woman as Seetha, who is originally from Nepal. They found that she got the baby from another woman, Shanthi, in Ayanavaram. "The baby's mother, Banumathy, was looking for ways to get rid of the baby who was born out wedlock, after she had a relationship with Manickam, a construction worker" an officer said.

"Seetha and her husband Jolraj, a security guard at a private college of Aminjakarai, were childless for more than 18 years," he said. "Shanthi approached the couple with the baby boy after getting him from two women, Prema and Selvi."

Shanthi took the child from Prema and Selvi, telling them that she knew a couple who were looking to adopt a child. She handed over the baby to Seetha, who paid her 10,000.

A couple of days later, the baby suddenly developed fever. Seetha took the child to the hospital. "The baby was crying continuously so a nurse asked her to feed the baby, but the woman went out to get milk," the officer said. "Following a complaint, Egmore police handed over the woman to the Aminjikarai police."

"We have sought legal opinion in the case and will proceed according to the advice of lawyers," said deputy commissioner of police (Anna Nagar) Prem Anand Sinha. Police are questioning all five women involved in the sale of the baby. "None of the women are aware of the legal procedure for adoption," the officer said.